WEBVTT MIKE: GOVERNOR WALKER HAS PROPOSED CUTTING THE UW SYSTEM BY $300 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, BUT HAS ALSO PROMISED GREATER AUTONOMY. THE 13% CUT IN STATE FUNDING WOULD BE SHARED IN THE SYSTEM. AT LEAST ONE ASSEMBLY MEMBER HAS PONDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF ELIMINATING OR REFORMING THE UW EXTENSION, WHICH HAS FACULTY AND STAFF IN ALL 72 COUNTIES. THE EXTENSION AND THE UW COLLEGES -- WITH 13, TWO-YEAR CAMPUSES AROUND THE STATE -- HAVE AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OF ABOUT $378 MILLION. WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THE CUTS COULD MEAN FOR THE UW EXTENSION AND COLLEGES WITH. -- WITH CHANCELLOR CATHY SANDEEN, WHO JOINS US NOW FROM OUR MADISON AFFILIATE, WKOW T.V. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. LET'S GET RIGHT TO THIS. WHAT DO THESE PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS AND A PROPOSED TUITION FREEZE MEAN FOR TWO-YEAR COLLEGES IN THE STATES. CATHY: THANKS, MIKE. TWO-YEAR COLLEGES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, THEY SERVE AN IMPORTANT TRANSFORMATION, AND ALLOW STUDENTS TO STAY IN THEIR HOMETOWNS AND REGIONS OF FURTHER EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. WE ARE IN ALL 72 COUNTY OFFICES, AND WE HAVE A VARIETY OF SERVICES WE PROVIDE FROM COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ALL THE WAY THROUGH WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION BROADCASTING. THESE CUTS AFFECT US SEVERELY. EVERY ONE OF OUR UNITS DOES RELY ON THE STATE ALLOCATION. LET'S LOOK AT THE COLLEGES. IN THE CASE OF THE COLLEGES, 40% OF THE BUDGET COMES FROM THE STATE. 60% FROM TUITION. AS YOU MENTION, A TUITION FREEZE WILL HAVE A BIG EFFECT. BUT ALSO, DRASTIC CUT TO THAT STATE ALLOCATION WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS EFFECT. SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT, THE DECISIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE OUR REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CLASSES, AND MAYBE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO GET CLASSES AT THE TIME WHEN THEY WANT TO TAKE THEM. WE MAY NEED TO EXPAND BEYOND OUR SIGNATURE METHOD OF TEACHING, WHICH IS SMALL CLASSES, PERSONAL ATTENTION FROM PROFESSORS, AND INTEGRATE MORE OF OUR TECHNOLOGY-BASED INSTRUCTION ONLINE, AND VIDEOCONFERENCING, SO STUDENTS CAN COMPLETE THEIR COURSES. ALTHOUGH WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT THIS, WE ANTICIPATE THAT SOME STUDENTS MAY TAKE LONGER TO FINISH THEIR DEGREES OR TO TRANSFER ON. AND THAT WILL NEED ADDITIONAL COST TO THEM. SOME OF OUR FACULTY MAY BE TEACHING AT MORE THAN ONE CAMPUS, AND STAFF MAY BE WORKING AT MORE THAN ONE CAMPUS AS WELL. THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT THE COLLEGES. MIKE: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS ARGUMENT. THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE GIVES CAMPUSES MORE AUTONOMY. DOES THAT REALLY APPLY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO TWO-YEAR CAMPUSES? DO THEY BENEFIT FROM HAVING GREATER FLEXIBILITY OR AUTONOMY? CATHY: WE COULD BENEFIT FROM IT. IT'S A LONG BENEFIT, BUT DEFINITELY POSITIVE. WE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE TIED TO STATE PURCHASING CONTRACTS, AND HR AND COMPENSATION POLICIES. ONE ADVANTAGE IN THE COLLEGES, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE PRICE IS LOWER, OR EQUAL TO WHAT A STATE CONTRACT IS NOW. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE FROM A LOCAL VENDOR. THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT THING. RIGHT NOW, WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE ALSO WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY IN IMPLEMENTING NEW INITIATIVES. IN THE LONG TERM, WE SEE IT AS A BENEFIT. IN THE SHORT TERM, WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON MANAGING THE LARGE CUTS. WE HOPE FOR A REALLY POSITIVE FUTURE BENEFITS FROM THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY IDEA. MIKE: DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS OF THIS IS BEGINNING OF A LARGER CONVERSATION? THAT ENTAILING WHETHER OR NOT WE LEAD TO LOOK AT BUSINESS BEING DONE DIFFERENTLY IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN? DO WE HAVE THE NEED FOR 13 TWO-YEAR CAMPUSES OR THE UW EXTENSION IN ALL 72 COUNTIES? ARE YOU WORRIED THIS IS WHERE THE CONVERSATION COULD BE HEADED? CATHY: I'M NOT WORRIED. WE PROVIDE TO AMANDA'S VALUE FOR THE CITIZENS OF WISCONSIN. AND THEY KNOW THAT TOO. ONE THING WE DO ACROSS THE COLLEGES AND EXTENSION IS WE ARE CONNECTED, AND WE PARTNER WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS. I CAN'T IMAGINE ONE THING THAT WE DO THAT WE DON'T DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMEONE ELSE. THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE, WE LEVERAGE IT THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS. WE HELP THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY, WE HELP COMPANIES THRIVE AND GROW, WE HELP FAMILIES, THERE IS SO MUCH THAT WE DO THAT I THINK A LOT OF WISCONSINITES MAY NOT BE EVEN AWARE THAT IS CONNECTED THROUGH US AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. IT REMINDS ME OF THE JONI MITCHELL SONG, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT TILL ITS GONE. I THINK THAT MAY BE PART OF WHAT OUR CITIZENS WILL DISCOVER AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET REDUCTION PROCESS. MIKE: CHANCELLOR CATHY SANDEEN , WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THINK FOR BEING WITH US. -- THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.